a republic in S Asia: history dates from the Indus Valley civilization (3rd millennium bc); came under British supremacy in 1763 and passed to the British Crown in 1858; nationalist movement arose under Gandhi (1869–1948); Indian subcontinent divided into Pakistan (Muslim) and India (Hindu) in 1947; became a republic within the Commonwealth in 1950. It consists chiefly of the Himalayas, rising over 7500 m (25 000 ft) inthe extreme north, the Ganges plain in the north, the Thar Desert in the northwest, the Chota Nagpur plateau in the northeast, and the Deccan Plateau in the south. Official and administrative languages: Hindi and English; each state has its own language. Parts of the SE coast suffered badly in the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. Religion: Hindu majority, Muslim minority. Currency: rupee. Capital: New Delhi. Pop: 1 339 180 127 (2017 est). Area: 3 268 100 sq km (1 261 813 sq miles)
Hindi name: Bharat
2. communications
a code word for the letter i
India in American English
(ˈɪndiə)
1.
region in S Asia, south of the Himalayas, including a large peninsula between the Arabian Sea & the Bay of Bengal: it contains the republic of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, & Bhutan
2.
republic in the central & S part of this region: established by the British Parliament (1947), it became a republic in 1950: member of the Commonwealth: 1,222,243 sq mi (3,165,596 sq km); pop. 846,303,000; cap. New Delhi
see also Jammu and Kashmir
3.
Indian Empire
Word origin
L < Gr < Indos, the Indus < OPers Hindu, India: see Hindu
a black pigment , as of specially prepared lampblack , or carbon black, mixed with a gelatinous substance and dried into cakes or sticks
India paper
a thin soft opaque printing paper made in the Orient
India print
a colourful cotton fabric, with a block-printed pattern , made in India
British India
the 17 provinces of India formerly governed by the British under the British sovereign : ceased to exist in 1947 when the independent states of India and Pakistan were created
Farther India
a peninsula in SE Asia, between India and China: consists of Myanmar , Thailand , Laos , Cambodia , Vietnam , and Malaysia
French India
a former French overseas territory in India , including Chandernagore and Pondicherry ( now Puducherry ): restored to India between 1949 and 1954
India rubber
crude , natural rubber obtained from latex ; caoutchouc
Portuguese India
a former Portuguese overseas province on the W coast of India, consisting of Goa , Daman , and Diu : established between 1505 and 1510; annexed by India in 1961
pride-of-India
→ chinaberry (sense 1 )
East India Company
the company chartered in 1600 by the British government to trade in the East Indies : after being driven out by the Dutch , it developed trade with India until the Indian Mutiny (1857), when the Crown took over the administration : the company was dissolved in 1874
China ink
a black pigment made from a mixture of lampblack and a binding agent such as gelatine or glue : usually formed into solid cakes and sticks
Chinese ink
a black pigment made from a mixture of lampblack and a binding agent such as gelatine or glue : usually formed into solid cakes and sticks
East Indies
the Malay Archipelago , including or excluding the Philippines
Indian ink
a black pigment made from a mixture of lampblack and a binding agent such as gelatine or glue : usually formed into solid cakes and sticks
Central India Agency
a former group of 89 states in India, under the supervision of a British political agent until 1947: most important were Indore , Bhopal , and Rewa
Bible paper
a thin tough opaque paper used for Bibles , prayer books, and reference books
gum elastic
a cream to dark brown elastic material obtained by coagulating and drying the latex from certain plants, esp the tree Hevea brasiliensis
rubber
Rubber is a strong, waterproof, elastic substance made from the juice of a tropical tree or produced chemically. It is used for making tyres , boots , and other products.